Federal study finds 90 percent of nursing homes are understaffed

Wednesday, February 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The vast majority of the nation's nursing homes _ about 90 percent _ are staffed too thinly to properly provide such basic services as dressing, grooming, feeding and cleaning, according to a new federal study.

The report was ordered by Congress and a final version is being prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services. It concludes that it would cost $7.6 billion a year for nursing homes to achieve proper staffing.

Tuesday, Bush administration officials were unwilling to say whether they will mandate minimum staffing levels for nursing home, as critics have long demanded.

Instead they pointed to plans to force all nursing homes to make public their staff-to-patient ratio. Bush officials said public demand for more staffing will pressure nursing homes to do a better job.

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson ``has identified the shortage as a major issue we have to deal with in this country,'' said spokesman Bill Pierce. ``And it's not just nursing homes. There is a shortage of nurses across the board.''

Several health care workers and watchdog groups said the government is directly responsible for patients who are suffering because of a lack of care.

``You just don't have enough time to give patients the proper care that you are required to _ to bathe them and dress them,'' said Jeannie Holly, a nurse at Mariner Healthcare in Huntington, W.Va.

``You try to do your best, but you can spend about seven minutes on each patient before you have to move on.''

Holly also said the low level of staffing robs some patients of their dignity. She recounted being too busy to honor the request of a longtime patient to sit at her bedside as she died.

The link between nursing home staffing levels and poor care is compelling, the report found.

Seniors in poorly staffed homes were more likely to suffer from blood-borne infections, dehydration, bedsores, malnutrition and pneumonia.

Dr. John Schnelle, a co-author of the report, said that nursing aides have to cut many corners. ``They have to move quickly. They can't talk to people a whole lot.''

The report found that homes should have a nurse for every 6 residents during the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift. Only about 10 percent of the homes across the nation meet that standard.

About 50 percent of homes missed the mark ``by a whole lot'' and would have to double the number of aides to meet the standard.

Researchers developed the standard using computer simulations that take into account how much time it takes to do each job, how many patients need it done, travel time and other factors.

Congress ordered the study in 1990.

Most of the cost of adding additional nurses and staff would be passed on to the federal government because about 75 percent of nursing home patients are Medicare or Medicaid recipients.

Florida and California have already passed legislation that sets minimum staffing levels for nursing homes and several other states are considering following suit.

Andrew Stern, president of Service Employees International Union, said the report confirms what nursing home workers have long argued.

``It's a boost for the workers, families and officials who are trying to fix the nursing home crisis in their states,'' he said. ``It's too bad there won't be more help from the Bush administration.''